Letters to our Government: Part I

I’ve been writing a lot of letters to our government officials lately, as well as the local media. I’ve been getting a fair amount of response, as well, albeit not very personalized response.

Since I’m doing all this writing and no one is seeing it but some underpaid interns at the Federal level, I figured I’d repost my letters here to my blog in a series I’m calling “Letters to our Government.” As my responses come in, I’ll post them here as well.

I want candidates to talk about Fiscal Issues: Cutting Taxes, Reducing Growth of Government. These are the issues that matter. Cutting taxes (dramatically or altogether) is the only thing that will encourage unfettered growth in American economy.

Likewise, reducing growth of government is similarly important. To me, this means ending the government’s over site of a great many things. Too often, lately, in the name of Terrorism Management, the government has grown new agencies, laws and responsibilities (often of questionable constitutional nature) to oversee various aspects of American daily life.

We don’t want a ‘nanny state’ – in fact, we don’t need it. I understand that within the American populace there is a strong contingent of people who need someone to pamper them to ensure they continue to live. These are the people we continually see in the news because they spill coffee on themselves, or are being arrested on Cops, or are in the news because they got busted for robbing a convenience store for the twentieth time.

Just because these types of stories dominate our news cycles does not indicate that the majority of the populace is incapable of handling themselves, it is simply indicative that the minority of the populace makes for good entertainment and news-fodder. Please do not legislate the majority of us out of freedom because of a few screwballs.

/mark “rizzn” hopkins

Update – formula response from Louie GohmertOctober 18 in the Year of our Lord 2006

Mr. Mark Hopkins517 W. Houston St.Tyler, TX 75702-8055

Dear Mr. Hopkins,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns with the current tax system. I appreciate having the benefit of your views on this issue.

I agree with you that the current federal tax system is unworkable and needs to be reformed. American citizens are over-taxed, not only measured in the amount of taxes that they pay, but also in the amount of time they spend complying with the tax code.

Over the years, the federal tax code has grown far too complex and open to abuse. The overwhelming majority of Americans want to pay their fair share toward the costs of government; however, this spirit has been undermined by decades of wasteful spending in Washington and a tax code that rewards creative avoidance of taxes. America has a growing, dynamic, and changing economy – but our tax code has not kept up with the times. The current tax code is full of special interest loopholes that cause America’s taxpayers to spend more than six billion hours ! and billions of dollars every year on paperwork and other headaches. I believe our future economic prosperity demands a simpler, fairer, and most importantly, lower tax system. I look forward to working with the President to carry out his pledge of leading a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the tax code.

With the President’s leadership we will certainly make some timely changes that will benefit the taxpayers. We expect to get a vote before Congress by next year to reform our tax system. Please know that I will always have the interest of the taxpayer in mind.

Once again, thank you for contacting my office. I appreciate having the opportunity to serve you in the United States House of Representatives.